Tailoring your Clothes

The average woman is approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall. Well, I’m almost 5 feet 9 and I’m all legs. Finding jeans to fit me is like trying to hit the lottery. Going into a store and buying a pair of jeans off the rack is something that rarely happens in my life. I think that may have happened like 12 times in all my shopping experiences.

Most jeans, even those that say LONG, hit me around the ankles or shins. I look like I’ve been in a flood. Not to mention the latest trend is boot and flare legs, which look horrendous on me, because I have no waist or hips. I’m built like a boy. If it weren’t for the boobs I purchased I’d still look like a boy. (Yes, I succumbed to the plastic surgery craze when I was 33 years old. Wish I had done it when I was much younger.) But anyway, back to the jeans. Petite women complain because their jeans are always too long, but let me tell you, it’s much easier to hem jeans than it is to lengthen them--because you CAN'T add length. So, I have to find jeans that fit my frame every where else and HOPE that they’re long enough.

I try to find jeans that have a cuff and again, they are normally bootleg or flare. I take the cuff down and then I sew them into skinny jeans. Why do I do this? Well, skinny jeans are more flattering. They make my legs look even longer. I don’t understand fashion advisors who say flare- legged pants make legs look longer. I don’t think they make any legs look longer. And just to prove my point, I took a before and after picture of a pair of jeans that I altered.

They were flared and I turned them into skinny jeans. So, you be the judge. Which pair makes my legs look longer?

My point is this. NO woman’s body is perfect. We ALL hate something about our bodies. And there are no clothes out there that will fit to perfection. So, if you are handy with a needle or sewing machine, you can do a few stitches and alter the piece to fit you perfectly. If you aren’t handy, a tailor isn’t expensive. Most dry cleaners have tailors on their staff. Go find that pair of jeans that fit perfect everywhere except one spot and then get them tailored to YOUR body. A few extra dollars goes a long way!